


En Famille

by DescriptivePessimism_DAA



Series: Making Friends; How To [2]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dimension and Time Travel, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-06-27 09:49:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19788388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DescriptivePessimism_DAA/pseuds/DescriptivePessimism_DAA
Summary: Kaito knew that even though everyone is alive and back, they're not his. No matter what he wants.But that was fine, as long as they're alive.As long as they're alive...Or so he tells himself.





	1. Existence

_“What the hell…”_

Kaito stares at the other teen, the _doppelgänger_ … or was he the double in this case?

The hand around his throat tightens minutely, before loosening as if the owner of the hand was reluctant to do so.

“Is this a joke? Who the hell are you?” his father— _the man_ —in front of him glowers, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Despite the apparent venom, Kaito was not fooled—the man was wary, _yes_ , however, Kaito felt the reluctance, the uneasy insecurity, and confusion when the older magician’s thumb felt around for the familiar sensation of latex against his fingers—only to be met with pure skin.

Kaito never bothered with a disguise while he was with Shin’ichi. Even if they did switch disguises the Organization was almost always on their tails that it didn’t even matter anymore. And on that night they hadn’t done anything—the Organization knew they were coming and had even most likely expected they would come in with an elaborate disguise.

Of course, he and Shin’ichi—just to spite _Them_ —went for the simplest method. It was simply gratifying to get on Spider and Gin’s nerves just because they _can_.

He is brought out of his musings when the hand tightens warningly, and he speaks—like they always do whenever someone catches up to them later.

“My name is Kuroba Kaito, son of Kuroba Toichi the First Kaitou Kid and Kuroba Chikage the Phantom Lady, I am 27 years old, one of the Rebellion’s remaining member and thief. The Organization has taken to call us the Foxes, but Snake has become rather fond of calling me the child of the rat. And I am the Third Generation Kaitou Kid.

Yesterday on the 23rd of June, 2028; I and my partner had just managed to retrieve Pandora from the Akasawa’s jealously guarded grasp, which was confirmed after checking it with the regular routine. Pandora activated before I could do anything about it, and I wake up alone.” Kaito feels the tension release from his body when his father’s— _no_ , not _his father_ —grip loosens. Kaito spies the woman wearing his mother’s face look on with much confusion, contemplation, and slight realization.

As if what he said made sense, yet raised even more questions than give answers.

“Your partner?” his “father” asks, almost hesitant but still stern—and Kaito understands, had Kaito been lying and was actually part of the Organization, he would be a danger to this version of the Kuroba family—speaking of which, why wasn’t the Time Paradox catching up? Or was it possible that Pandora did something about it?

 _It’s possible…_ (Pandora _is_ supposedly the most powerful ancient, magical tool in existence.)

“He was Kudou Shin’ichi, son of the famous writer, Kudou Yuusaku and the former actress, Kudou Yukiko. He was also of the same age—and is the main reason the Organization had called us the Foxes. He took up the identity of Edogawa Conan ten years, two months, and a few days— _prior_ the day we acquired Pandora—after he was fed a prototype poison, that instead of destructing him into microcellular levels, shrunk him ten years younger than his age when he was 16.

Vermouth has taken to call him the Silver Bullet, and I the Phantom Gun.”

“Vermouth…?” both his not-parents utter, and he knows both of them had a history with the woman—but, _she_ helped them. No matter how much of a thorn she was, she helped them and let them get away with way too many things until Karasuma decided he didn’t want to deal with her anymore. _Favorite or not_ … she had become too much.

“You know her as Sharon Vineyard… currently, she’s taking up the identity of Chris Vineyard, her so-called “daughter” I believe.” Kaito sighs, feeling out-of-breath, and exhausted. Considering he and Shin’ichi just pulled a heist that had way more casualty rate that neither of them liked, then they had to circle around the city, literally dodging bullets. Then activating Pandora—which they wanted to actually not do within that week while the comet was still visible.

His vision spun, and before he knew it he’s swaying— _falling… falling…_

Instead of the harsh painful ground, he vaguely senses a pair of warm arms catching him before he slips.

…

When Kaito woke up for the second time that day—or maybe the next day, doing nightly business royally messed up his internal clock—unlike Shin’ichi…

(Who’s dead.)

_And he could do nothing but stare, futilely hoping against hope that this was all a dream. The horrid sight before him of the detective’s lifeless visage surrounded by a pool of blood… so… red._

_Red… red…_

Shuddering, he shakes the thoughts away. And the events from last night comes rushing in, that makes him tense up and look around the room—the guest room, he identifies. Which at his time was used by his mother when she couldn’t bear to go in his father’s and her shared bedroom after he faked his death— _which reminds him_ , she never even found out that his old man was actually still alive.

And he regrets not spending more time with her, _his mother_ , who—despite all his faults—loved and supported him with all her heart, and she showed it the best way she could. As a single, widowed mourning wife and as a mother to her only child.

And he thinks of Jii, who practically became his grandfather— _more than an assistant, his family_ —killed because he had been out scouting the town’s activities after receiving intel that there was an influx of activity from _Them_. He should have _known_ it had been a bait, a trap to lure him out— _no_ , rather he knew it was a trap, he just didn’t realize the full extent.

And if Snake’s words were to be believed, their goal was to actually make the lure blatant, so instead of Kid going there—it would have been his assistant; whom Snake knew would fuss over him, left alone and surrounded—likely bound to keep him from escaping and running after Jii. Snake had planned to bomb the place down.

And he did. Only, the expected victims were switched.

_Then of course_ , Hakuba-the-bastard, had to go ahead, sending him his iconic condescending smirk and push him to safety—a haphazard disguise on. Shabby, but enough to fool someone while you’re mobile. He’d protested, _of_ course. But Akako, _that witch_ , pulled him and used some sort of paralysis-spell to keep him still but follow her.

**_“Get him out of here. You need to survive, Kuroba.”_ **

They found Hakuba beaten and gunned down miles away.

Akako and Haibara, they had gotten along at the get-go, surprisingly enough, despite the fact that they work on completely different spectrums, opposite sides of beliefs. (But considering he’s alliance and friendship with the detective—it was understandable.)

**“If Kudou-kun’s our best bet as the Silver Bullet as _she_ had taken to call him. But bullets can be deflected, it’s your job to make sure he _delivers_ , Kid.”**

Were Haibara’s last words, and it wasn’t even said to him personally, but rather a recording that had the morbid intro of: _“If you’re hearing this, I’m most likely—no, I’m dead.”_ It didn’t help that in the background, you could hear Hakuba and Hattori squabbling, and arguing about something—and Kaito doesn’t know _what_. They argued all the time, it was hard to pinpoint _when_.

Akako disappeared sometime that night, and they all wake up to the news that she apparently went ahead and blew up all the other research labs; both researching the impossible science, and supernatural, of the organization and a couple of other bases. They didn’t find her body, but they found a charred piece of her headdress. (It was Widow, who both giddily and angrily informed them of what happened.)

Hattori had gone quieter after Hakuba’s death, but after the little scientist and Akako’s deaths, he had gone grim, always silent. It wasn’t until Aoko and her father were killed that he heard Hattori speak for the last time—

**_“This ain’t like ya, Kuroba! Snap out of it!”_ **

Kazuha was next to go—desperately defending the children, and then Hattori had (for whatever reason) tried to get the rumored remaining formula of the Apoptoxin in one of the remaining and more hidden labs—no matter how hard Shin’ichi had pulled and tried to change his mind. Of course, Hattori, being Hattori went it, and not even a few minutes after that the lab exploded.

 _He didn’t make it_.

The Professor had been the last straw, and Shin’ichi nearly went all suicidal. Relentlessly going after them, with a borderline obsession—until Kaito’s mother stepped in.

But of course, she too… went… and after her, his father—then Shin’ichi’s parents…

_Shin’ichi_ …

Kaito had no one left. Even now back in the past (was he really?), even if everyone’s still alive… they don’t know him as he did—and they likely never will. And as much as he wanted to get their relationship back—it just wasn’t worth their lives.

 _But he has a chance to change things_.

Maybe, he could influence them—he’s technically under the radar as of now, he technically and officially doesn’t exist at all. He could create some interference like somehow lead Hakuba to get training. More training than fencing.

Knock his detective out, before he can follow Gin and Vodka after that Roller Coaster Murder. He just needed a calendar and he can lay out a plan on what to do—he can figure out his living quarters, it wouldn’t be much different from when they were on the run. Except it is, because _he’s all alone, alone, alone_ —

_“Ka-Kaito-kun?”_ a knock followed by a familiar muffled voice breaks through his spiraling thoughts.

“It’s open…!” he lightly raises his voice—and while that might not be completely true, his parents were phantom thieves, judging from their reactions during his introduction they’re also phantom thieves. Locks mean nothing to them, the door clicks and opens; so, they locked it from outside.

His mother— _not really_ —peeks her head through, a concerned furrow in her brows as she eyes him. Clearing her throat she speaks.

“It’s day already, and a Saturday, breakfast is ready.” Kaito can’t help but blink up at this version of his mother. There’s wariness in her eyes, but none of the grief that weighed heavily on her—and _this is for the best_ , is the only thought that went through his head. “Your clothes were dirty, and… so, your father, Toichi changed your clothes…” that was nice of them, but she sounded way too worried. Looking up at her, he nearly bodily flinches back at the sight of her worried eyes boring into him.

“Thank you…” and yes, they did change him into a set of pajamas he didn’t really wear because of the fish icons. It still sent an irrational trickle of fear in him, but not as bad as it was before. “I should probably change before going down.” Chikage nods, smiling lightly.

“I believe you know where the shower is?” he nods. “I’ll leave you a change of clothes, what should I do with—”

“Don’t… do anything to it yet.” (He might need samples, as morbid as it sounds.) he keeps his head down, even as Chikage hands him a clean bath towel, thanking her lowly. He rushes to the bathroom.

He didn’t allow himself to dwell, he rushed through the washing, soap and shampoo. The water gains a pinkish—accompanied by brown, red, and unhealthy yellowish tint after he scrubs the blood off his skin. After he finishes, he sees the aforementioned change of clothes Chikage was talking about, on the small stool. It was one of his casual clothes, and the jacket was the one he wore when he and the detective started to change locations like mad. The one he wore when Mouri Kogorou was gunned down. Because the Organization thought the Sleeping Kogorou was getting too close.

That or helping the elusive _fox_ —

Shaking the thoughts away, he puts on the new pair of boxers, the jeans, and the sweatshirt. He keeps the jacket folded and he takes that with him to put it back in his—no, _this Kaito’s room_ —and on top of his counterpart’s bed. With that done, he makes his way down to the kitchen—

—and _it’s weird_.

Exceedingly strange to see a younger version of himself together with his parents, eating—well, _about to_ —breakfast. Like, he’s an outsider staring in, and something heavy behind his lungs makes itself known at the sight. A version of his mother who never experienced being widowed, and a version of him that never lost a father.

It was like he was staring at his greatest fantasy, and the only ones missing in the picture are his friends and his detective.

(And he wants to, introduce the detective as more than a friend to his parents—but _they aren’t his_.

The Shin’ichi he saw isn’t _his_.)

“Kaito-kun?” he looks up, only to see the other Kaito and his parents looking at him. Straining a smile, he greets them and takes the remaining seat across the other Kaito’s father. At Chikage’s prompting they start eating, and mid-meal, his counterpart speaks up, after both of them perk up when Chikage calls one of them to pass the salt.

“That is really bound to get confusing.” Kaito agrees with his counterpart’s remark. He is, however, the intruder here—and it doesn’t feel right, so he speaks.

“It doesn’t matter I won’t be staying. I am grateful for the meal, change of clothes and for letting me stay the night.” Kaito could feel them staring, but he doesn’t look up. “After this, I’ll be on my way, it was a mistake coming here without checking. I have already let my guard down long enough, I’ll be on my way—”

“Stop.” Kaito freezes, not expecting the stern voice of the man to suddenly speak to him, slowly looking up. He makes eye contact with his not-father’s eyes. “On your way to _where?_ ”

Swallowing, he answers as best as he could. “I can manage; this isn’t the first time I—”

“Stop, right there.” Kaito stares as Toichi sighs. “Now, what makes you think we’ll just easily let you go? Finish your breakfast, _then we’ll talk._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(July 10, 2019:** I’m getting dumber and dumber on this chapter title thing… and, I’m also running out of things to say on my end notes…
> 
> Well, aside from: Omygoodness, I apologize for the delay! I swear I didn’t mean to leave you guys hanging! (Even though I still browse on my phone) but I never knew that actively participating in the 'behind the scenes' of the planning the wedding process was such a headache and a half. I already have enough of it by being a bride’s maid, having actual shit to do is just— _ugh._  
>  Not to mention my laptop has crashed for the better part of the day, and I was left stranded—and I still have some shit to do, so it’s been quite the stressful day, god.
> 
> Not only that, the connection was absolute shit (by the time this is posted, it’s most likely the next day [or two, _or few_ ] for me already), other sites were fine? But AO3 refused to work with me. I honestly couldn’t connect to it… no matter _what I did!_  
>  (The connection sucks. Period. I just didn’t mention it in DCMK Revisions, because that was done, and I wasn’t in the mood to edit it.)
> 
> Also, the dates that “canon”!Kaito mentioned, happened in his world. It is also my headcanon that there were at least a few months when Shin’ichi shrunk before his birthday. And I apologize, it’s rather Kaito-centric for now. Not to mention, it won’t be the last of such fallout thoughts.
> 
> **Until the next update!**  
>  **—DescriptivePessimism-DAA)**


	2. To This Family

“Stop, right there.” Kaito stares as Toichi sighs. “Now, what makes you think we’ll just easily let you go? Finish your breakfast, _then we’ll talk._ ”

-

_We’ll talk…_

That’s what his not-father said, and in between bites he can’t help but look up at the man and the woman, _his counterpart_ , before he looks back down at the plate when he can’t help but see a metaphysical illusion of his mother’s charred form over her counterpart and his father’s bloodied and charred form over the otherwise healthy man.

In his mind’s eye, the cause of death mixes—the one where his father died in that botched escape trick, and one where he died once more— _for good this time_ —being gunned down protecting him.

**_“It doesn’t matter… no matter what, Kaito… I’m proud of you.”_ **

And in the back of his mind, something _seethes,_ something _ugly_ , and _dark_.

(We’ll talk he said… _he’s_ the one that left first—!)

— _SHUT UP!_

He breathes in deeply, trying to calm himself. Mentally shaking the thoughts off, forcing them to bunch-up together, into an envisioned jar and putting a lid on it, sealing that tight—

—as Haibara taught him, like how she locked herself up, tight in the lab and used a—

Suddenly he felt nauseated, appetite gone. Why was this becoming a big deal _now_? Her death was more than two years ago for him and Shin’ichi. And yet, he couldn’t help but draw parallels, when the little detective approached him in desperation. How he helped them fake her death with that train car that exploded—how she chose her own end…

**_“Kudou-kun said…”_ **

… someone’s touching his hand… _shit_ , again! _He’s letting his guard down_ again _!_

“Kaito-kun…?” he pulls it back, and the numbness that spreads through his palms tells him enough that he has balled his hands into fists until the nails likely dug into skin. Maybe drawing blood but he ignores it in favor of smiling up at his not-mother and not-father.

“I’m sorry, I was lost in thought, you were saying?” he ignores the exchange of worried glances around the table, and he knows they could see through his Poker Face just fine, just like he can to them. But that’s not all, he hasn’t used his Poker Face in _months_ , the occurrence yesterday was his and Shin’ichi’s personal encounter with the Organization also in months. With just Shin’ichi around, he never found the need to completely put his Poker Face up.

Even if he had it up, Shin’ichi could read through him like an open book, even with the hidden message written in between the lines with invisible ink.

(He can never have that again, not with this version of Shin’ichi, because his Shin’ichi’s—)

“You haven’t touched your meal in a while.” Chikage speaks, brows furrowed, a quirk of a scowl and glint of concern. As a thief that used to wrap her face for her disguise, she didn’t quite have mastery over her Poker Face as much as he and his father had, but _of course_ , he’d still be able to read her nonetheless.

“I’m sorry…” he apologizes, immediately picking up his chopsticks, grabbing for a bunch and forking that in his mouth. And he feels like puking it out, he and Shin’ichi usually didn’t have the luxury of complete meals, never past six or seven bites—and he knew he had more than that. Even though his stomach rumbled—why was he back in his 17-year-old body, anyway?—in hunger, unused to the treatment of having a significant lack of nutrients, and how was that possible? He could see that he still possessed the same scars, why was his appetite any different?

He’d say he was thinner than an average 27-year-old adult, however, he knew that his detective was worse, yes the detective kept his nimble and agile body, however, he was way too thin and Kaito hadn’t needed his mother to tell him—neither of them usually felt like eating. On the run, they couldn’t risk a full stomach else they’ll be puking it out afterward.

It didn’t help the Organization always seemed to have this inherent ability to locate them—

“You don’t have to force yourself.” Toichi suddenly cuts through his thoughts with a heavy sigh, looking up he looks at the man quizzically. “You’re not hungry anymore.” Kaito then shakes his head, because that wasn’t completely true.

“No… I _know_ , my body needs more—it’s just…”

“You don’t feel like eating if you do it feels like they’re just rushing up begging to be spilled out, the taste of bile lingering in the back of your throat.” Kaito stares, and the other Kaito groans somewhere next to him with a noise of disgust but doesn’t say anything. Toichi then clears his throat.

“You can stop if you want.” Kaito heaves a sigh of relief, ignoring how he feels his stomach complain—he knew that wasn’t enough, but he can’t seem to get the mentality out and he puts the utensil down as gently as possible, staring longingly at the home-cooked meal his own mother hasn’t done for him in years. And it’s not just because they were on the run, a taste in his mother’s cooking has been lacking ever since she believed her husband was dead.

And tasting it _now_ feels like a dream. _Maybe he did die and all of this was an illusion—_

(Don’t kid yourself, you know we’re not that lucky.)

**_“No matter what happens Kuroba, you can’t have false hopes.”_ **

So, he mentally shakes that out of his head, only looking up when he hears the clack of the other putting down their own utensils, and he feels guilty for making them stop midway.

“I can wait… please, don’t stop on my accord.” he rasps lowly, and the other Kaito laughs lightly.

“I—don’t worry, it feels like we shouldn’t finish it anyway.” Kaito stares as his counterpart smiles uncertainly at him, and he doesn’t know how to deal with that. Because retelling and thinking about it alone made bile rush up his throat, so he just nods. Wondering if he should actually tell them, he could just kno—

“Try a sleeping gas, and you’ll be the one knocked out.” _Ouch_ —that, was scary. He looks almost sheepishly at the slightly amused expression Toichi sends his way, but they were more threat than anything. “You mentioned you were 27 years old. I expected you would be older than _that_ —or were you fed the poison you said _They_ fed Shin’ichi-kun?”

“No… I have never been given the Apoptoxin-4869, I am as mystified as you are, and I can only consider that it has something to do with Pandora.” both of his not-parents’ perk up at that, each looking at him with curiosity, and then he realizes that his counterpart is _there_ , and does he know—

“Kaito-kun.” Toichi calls, so he turns to the man, uncertain even though he knew he pretty much revealed their cover to their son, and even though he hadn’t shown it, he _did_ have a mental breakdown when it was revealed to him that his father was apparently the Kaitou Kid. “He knows, even way before you got here.” the man adds and his counterpart nods with a grin.

He didn’t want to ask, but he _needed to know_ —would they have told him had his father not perished in that botched trick? Would his father have stayed had it been prevented?

“When?” at their curious looks, he amends. “When did you tell him?”

“He found out when he was 15, he demanded the truth from us.” Chikage answers with a soft tone, looking at him.

“Is he…” Toichi’s brows furrowed apparently already knowing the question with a hint of anger in his eyes, face tightening, and he immediately responds with a seething hiss.

“No, I will not have my son become some target practice for _those bastards_.”

“Toichi.” Chikage chides harshly, glaring at him and Toichi shakes his head with a sigh.

“Why?” Kaito splutters— _what was he going to say to that?! His father faked his death, went off the grid and let him become a mobile target?_ —he didn’t have to say anything apparently, as the man apparently already figured it out. “When did you become the Third Kaitou Kid? Who was the Second?”

“I became the Third Kaitou Kid after the First Kaitou Kid disappeared when I was eight years old, eight years past and during the second heist the Second Kaitou Kid pulled I inherited the mantle of Kaitou Kid.” Kaito hears a sharp gasp, and he doesn’t need to look to know that this version of his mother stared at him in horror.

“You were 16.” he nods. “Did you know about…” Kaito fills in, knowing what the man is asking.

“No, I had not known my father was the Kaitou Kid prior. I only find out when the secret door disguised as a revolving portrait in my room, timed to unlock, it opened and dropped me inside the room.

I found out about the fact that my father’s botched trick accident was actually a murder through Jii on the following heist. And I found out about Pandora about a few heists later during Aoko’s birthday when Snake and his men first came after me.” Chikage lets out a sound that’s part gasp and a sob, muffled when she clamps a hand around her mouth.

“I was… dead, and expecting it?” Toichi asks, face clipped tight— _and should Kaito tell him the truth_?

“ _My father_ expected the attempt on his life,” that makes the man perk up, eye blazing and hand fisting.

“ _I_ knew, lived but chose to stay _dead_.” Kaito nods not bothering to refute the man’s claims—even though Kaito knew this version of his father would have never stayed away as his father did, and the man breathes deeply as some form of an attempt to calm himself.

“ _Why?_ ”

“I—” did he know why though? He could understand why the man stayed away, like how he stayed away from Aoko and her father when things went sour—but they still suffered for it. Random shooting is what was announced. “—don’t know.”

 _And he didn’t_. There was no point staying away, _They_ proved that to him multiple times.

So long as he had something to lose, _They_ wouldn’t be far behind.

The man hums, but Kaito could tell the man wasn’t satisfied with the answer.

“What happened next?” Toichi eventually says after a few seconds of awkward silence.

“I pulled more heists to look for Pandora.”

“Why? You knew it was dangerous, why keep on the charade?”

“ _They_ thought I was Kuroba Toichi… they did threaten me, but mom was safe, she was practically a ghost roaming overseas, my only worry was Aoko and her father—but they didn’t even know about them, except for Aoko’s father being the Kaitou Kid Task Force Inspector. But as far as connections were concerned—they were under the belief that only Toichi and his family are at risk.” they obviously didn’t like the sound of that, but they continued to ask him and he answers what he could.

This version of his mother was more concerned of the fact he was left alone in his situation, brows constantly furrowed while the other version of his father seemed more upset with the fact that his counterpart decided to leave his son to gallivant off as a white beacon with a bounty and target on his head.

At his mother— _no, not his_ —prompting he tells them the story of how he and Hakuba Akako, and the little detective met, how he was taken off-guard by the disarming visage that is of a child confronting him. How they interacted at times on his heists, how the boy pulled some ridiculous stunts that Kaito _swore_ made his heart leap up to his throat and choke him.

How they all grew closer with each passing day, learning to trust one another when few truths of the Organization slipped within their group. How they all couldn’t stay in one place two years after he became Kid.

He tells them about their sacrifices, his friends—and _Shin’ichi_.

He tells them all about Shin’ichi, how the not-teen had to practically re-grow on the run, how he too had to grow into adulthood roaming the globe. Almost ten years on the road, always wary, no rests—and they couldn’t afford to let their guards down.

Not when they had so much to lose, and even when they have lost so much— _because they couldn’t let_ their _sacrifices be in vain._

How the supposed man had held his hand and whispered words of comfort to his ears, fingers wound together around the same gun squeezing the trigger for him on his first kill.

How the detective had become a partner in _everything_.

How Shin’ichi had been the only thing to keep him sane all these years—how he too like to think he had been the one to anchor Shin’ichi back on the ground when he all but lost all sense of sanity and tried to kill himself by bringing down some members with him.

How _his_ Shin’ichi had lean his forehead on Kaito’s own, nudging their noses together and nuzzling his face on Kaito’s shoulder when he thought Kaito was asleep with a heavy dose of pain killer.

_How his Shin’ichi had given him a last smile…_

**_“Run, Kaito… I’ll distract them, you handle Pandora.”_ **

And the world was blurring around the edges, but the words wouldn’t stop.

(Stop crying… _what are you doing_?! _Poker Face!_ )

“I never got to—” a hitched breath, and he wants to smack himself for slipping…

_He never got to tell the detective…_

Warmth is suddenly wrapping around him, and he sees his mother’s face, a bittersweet smile as she pulls him into a warm embrace—and her perfume registers on his senses, burying his face into her shoulder. And from behind he could feel his father supporting them both, and there’s a hand—smaller than his fathers, on his shoulder, fingers tight but not uncomfortable. More of a reassuring grip and someone (the other Kaito) fills in the gap.

For once in five years, _five years of it just him and his detective_ , he cries—loud, like a bawling child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(July 16, 2019:** Thankfully one of my “responsibilities” and roles are done… two more to go. That aside, here we are… again still Kaito-centric… but he needed this.  
>  _Part of this_
> 
> Also, I’ve been listening to Rolling Girl way too many times.
> 
> Also, _also_ … I may have miscalculated… we still have one more chapter for this installment ^^
> 
> Also, another thing... I just realized what I typed, Kaito mentioned two years for him and Shin'ichi since Haibara died... but at the end mentions five years of just him and Shin'ichi on the road.  
> That's because they actually move on pairs, but meet up at certain points to get together. However, the five years when it was just him and Shin'ichi things have blurred over for him. It's actually seven years since Haibara died, but since the moment only Shin'ichi and himself were left they only kept count of the two years--to them the moment Hattori and Kaito's mother died (months apart). They have been a dead men walking.
> 
> **Until the next update!  
> **  
>  **—DescriptivePessimism-DAA)**


	3. Is Everything

Kaito feels embarrassed that he cried— _there was no way he’s ashamed to admit his affections for the detective_ —there was no time for that.

 _Nor was there time for him to tell the detective that._ ( ** _No_** , there were plenty of time, multiple opportunities. But instead, you were being a stupid, foolish coward—)

Sniffling and wiping his face, he stares stubbornly even as his “father” cleans up the table, his “mother” had gone off somewhere after forcing him to sit down, and his counterpart must have been signaled or something because he is there sitting right next to him, keeping him in place—

“I’ll never understand what you’ve been through.” his counterpart suddenly says as his father storms out of the room—well, the man didn’t stomp or even make any sound, but the aura was enough to tell Kaito that the man was practically raging his way through the room.

“My dad never faked his death, I found out about Phantom Lady and Kaitou Kid, but they were apparently planning to tell me anyway, like the day after my 16th birthday. They showed me the lock-timer right after I demanded the truth. And they told me all about Snake and Pandora—and I can never even begin to imagine what you’ve been through.”

“Why are you telling me this?” he rasps, and the other Kaito smiles at him also bittersweet, no pity but gratitude and part fear—and Kaito understands, with him here, he’s essentially saving the other Kaito from his fate, but also he’s fearing the chance of him losing everything like he did.

“I hope I never will, I don’t think I’m strong enough to power through what you’ve been through… I don’t think I can handle the darkness like that.” his counterpart awkwardly scratches his head with a sheepish look.

“So, I want to thank you… for _this_. You’ve been through a lot, and it sounds pretty shallow to me too… but I am grateful that you’re doing this. Because…”

**_“Don’t… ru… om… n… fa…”_ **

He mentally scowls, swatting at the crackling voice inside his head, wanting to pay attention to his counterpart—who was still optimistic as he was when he was genuinely at that age. Awfully naïve, foolishly naïve.

“… _because_ I’d probably lose it the moment they kill Aoko…” speaking of Aoko, Kaito recalls the lack of a certain landmark.

“What happened to the Clock Tower?” his counterpart laughs, a victorious, melancholic look on his face.

“ _That_ was actually my first and only heist… I went Kid for a night, held a heist, wrote a code on the clock face—but I’m sure you already know that. And…” he trails off, a bittersweet look on his face. “… the code wasn’t enough, the detective on the case solved it—” _that_ … was uncharacteristic of his detective. Kaito knew that now, _what_ had changed? “—but… that wasn’t why it was demolished, they’re actually going to rebuild it because dad and a couple of his friends pitched in.”

“Why was it demolished?” his counterpart sighs.

“There were some gears lose apparently, and it just broke down and with it the other bolts—they labeled it too dangerous.”

_That_ was odd, there was supposed to be a maintenance team for— _unless…_

“Snake and his men are active.” his counterpart nods though knowing it wasn’t a question before he freezes.

“You think so too?” Kaito nods, before contemplating things…

“No other explanation but why— _of course,_ there’s a chance that fat old geezer is one of their clients…”

“ _Wait_ , where are you going?” Kaito blinks, realizing he just stood up and was about to make his way out of the dining room—and likely out of the house.

“I was… going to look for some information.” Kaito realizes he’s too used not being hindered or stopped mid-plan when it comes to him looking for information—before he was on the run Jii only learned about his information-gathering _while_ he was doing it. Hakuba would learn _after_ and chide him all the more for it. Akako would know even before he did it, and if she knew it was dangerous, she’d send him a warning of sorts. _Shin’ichi, on the other hand,_ would _help_ him—he’d sometimes pop up when Kaito was on his way, or before Kaito even got out of the house.

On the run, he and Shin’ichi never really separated.

“Yeah… not happening, if you want to know more, we already did it—though dad complained about my involvement, plus that was _months ago_ , _Kaito_ … and they told me to keep you here.” Kaito cocks a brow.

“You do know I could just easily tie you to the chair—”

“Your skills may be far superior to my own, but don’t forget they both trained me too, and mom has me train even more for escaping dad’s tricks, her own _and more_ … and I believe we emptied all your tricks. I could also tie you down…” Kaito sighs because that was true— _though he could_ —

“Something tells me that we didn’t get it all, there were too little materials. I actually thought it was odd because those were incomplete, what _trap_ could you have done with those? Either you were low on supply, or we didn’t get everything.” Kaito chuckles.

“Yes… you got all of it… but…” and he pulls a sleeve down to show him a seal inked to his skin like a permanent tattoo. “See this?” his counterpart nods with a shudder, likely recognizing the insignia.

“Please don’t tell me Akako claimed you as her own.” Kaito laughs, almost brokenly recalling how he had shown the same reluctance and suspicion when the weary witch had shown them the seal. And he feels a twinge because it was his only remembrance of her and the others.

“It’s not… it’s a method we used to use to identify each other, it also had a function that would silently erode any restraints on us—until we found out that _They_ also had a witch in their midst from the same clan as Akako… thus we switched with the vocal reports and questions only we would know the answers to. And sometimes we even used ciphered words.”

“Thank _god_ , mom was worried you sold yourself to that witch or joined a Yakuza or something.” Kaito feels his lips quirk and twitch.

“She says that but she was the first one to volunteer Akako try the seal on.” his counterpart immediately becomes somber, obviously recalling what had happened to Kaito’s mother.

“I also found a small pouch from your bag… which contained a lot of random stuff… particularly Hakuba’s pocket watch, lucky charms, some weird badges, and a clone of mom and dad’s wedding rings.”

“Just some mementos.” Kaito shrugs, trying not to think too hard of it, because those were the only ones they got, the hairpin and tiepin he got from Shin’ichi who swiped it from the evidence bag during the investigation of Aoko and her father’s murder. The memory card was from Haibara, and the small ruby was Akako’s. The two lucky charms belonged to both Kazuha and Hattori, the former one scavenged by Hattori himself when they went back to give her a proper burial, and then both were passed to Shin’ichi when the Osakan went inside that lab—like Hattori had known he wouldn’t be coming out alive, and that was what got to his detective the most.

(He never got the chance to take the small mementos Shin’ichi wore to remind him of his parents—a pin from his mother, the modified glasses, but the frames were his father’s—the no longer functioning cuff-link speakers from the Professor, and that vial Shin’ichi kept that contained the last of the temporary antidote.

Though Shin’ichi never made any motion to take it.)

“What about your detective?”

“Shin’ichi… he just took one hairpin for his mother, the glasses for his father, a pair of cuff links from the Professor, a scar from when Ran-san accidentally broke skin on his arm…” Kaito leans back on the chair, remembering the strained then forcefully blank look on his detective’s face. And _now_ that he thinks about it, Shin’ichi had said something to him on that conversation when Kaito tried to give back the lucky charms Hattori passed on to his detective friend, ones that Shin’ichi immediately passed to him, saying that Kaito had less chance to lose them—and…

**_“Besides, we’re always together.”_ **

_… and something else…_

Shin’ichi had said something when Kaito was about to sleep, and Shin’ichi was taking his shift on the night watch.

**_“Plus, you’re…”_ **

_… but what?_

(I’m what…?)

And he can’t help but be frustrated with himself, he _does_ have an eidetic memory, but with how things have been, not to mention sometimes under the influence of drugs—as dangerous as it was, they needed something to keep the pain at bay, or in some concussion, some of their conversations blurred over and mix up in his head, leaving their voices muffled. Others were memories he purposefully muffled like stuffing cotton into his ears.

As much as he wanted to sort through his memories and properly sort them, _but_ …

_Shin’ichi isn’t here_.

Only Shin’ichi could pull him out—well pull him out in a way that didn’t require punching him in the face or setting off a bomb nearby, or trying to shoot him—in which the scrambling moment would actually scramble more things up. He’s completely vulnerable at that state. And if Shin’ichi isn’t there, he could be lost in his own thoughts for _hours_ , in which said hours he _cannot_ be disturbed.

“… _Kaito_?” he blinks, turning to his counterpart—who has been calling him for a while, with a questioning look.

“Yeah?”

“What about the others?” and he’s partly grateful that his counterpart is distracting him—too deep in his thoughts and he could trigger reliving the memories. Even if it was the same topic, Kaito was forced to use his memory for something else than focus on the downward spiral—though, considering he was trying to recall memories of his friends trying to keep grasp of little things that would remind them of—

**_“That’s only natural, it is a process of…”_ **

He shakes his head, bringing his other self’s question upfront before humming.

“Let’s see… Hakuba said that his pocket watch is sentimental value enough, and his father’s revolver…” _now_ that he thinks about it, they never found Hakuba’s revolver, just his pocket watch that no longer moved, despite its seemingly pristine but worn appearance.

“Haibara had held on to the first aid kit and her gadgets from the Professor…

Akako herself, had a lot of them she doesn’t keep count but she knows every single one, and she kept Haibara’s watch and some trinkets that were apparently gifts from Aoko.

Shin’ichi’s parents both took photos with them—we never managed to get it back.” all because it was impossible.

“Kazuha-chan had then held onto the medical kit Haibara had, a comb from her mother and a baton stick from her father. Hattori also got a handgun from his father, a katana from his mother and a bullet fragment from Haibara when she took it out after he got shot.”

 _Neither of the weapons made it back_ … Kaito bites the inside of his cheeks, it was almost like the   
Organization also took _trophies_. But he shakes that away again, Shin’ichi had told him to not think about it—and he _won’t_.

Besides, there was no point on losing his shit over something that hasn’t even happened yet— _that won’t ever happen_. Because he’ll make sure of it, he has almost two years of head start (a few weeks or months _for_ Shin’ichi), he was not about to waste that.

His counterpart was about to speak, clearly unsettled by the ongoing silence when he recalls another conversation he had with Shin’ichi.

“Speaking of Shin’ichi… have you, personally met him?” Kaito could still remember the what-ifs he and Shin’ichi had talked about while they rested, how there was a chance they could have met early on through their parents—yet another opportunity the Organization deprived them of.

But this world, his counterpart’s parents _are_ both alive. Surely, they have met?

(Would I really want that though? This Shin’ichi would either be Ran-san’s or _his counterpart_ …)

And he immediately tries to shove the idea away, _he_ wouldn’t be _his Shin’ichi_ , but he needed a closer opinion on the detective, having only had the opportunity to take a peek the night before. But he still stares at his counterpart, feeling a mixture of jealousy, joy, and yet grief—with how the things have evolved— _are going to evolve_ , he’s inclined to believe that Shin’ichi was never meant to be his. But he swallows that down when he sees a look of confusion and contemplation shows up on the other.

“I’ve heard of him, both from the news and mom… but _personally_? No. I met his parents though.”

_What…? Why?_ Kaito’s brows furrowed, an image of Kudou Shin’ichi in a teen form when he should be an adult—how the not-teen had stared blankly and almost through his hands as if he couldn’t see them. (That was impossible, he saw Shin’ichi the night before. This version of Shin’ichi should be fine.)

“Why?” he watches as his counterpart also sends the same confusion right back at him, and Kaito knew it may have been nonchalant before, but now the teen was obviously /worried.

“No idea, actually…” that was off-setting, while it was true that Shin’ichi was a part-shut-in, he would have to be nagged by his mother to go, and he would go just for the sake of going and stopping the woman’s nagging—because Shin’ichi knew as young as he was at that time, he wouldn’t be able to appreciate his mother at that time, only serving to annoy him out of his reading time.

But even then, Shin’ichi himself said that had they met at that age, they would have likely ended up creating a large drift with one another, or get along so well that they would burn the house down—it was either of them, and Kaito honestly agrees. As much as Shin’ichi values life, his first instinct is to knock people out via powered-soccer ball. That and scaring the hell out of them.

Neither had any more time to brainstorm and state possibilities, as his counterpart’s father comes in with his wife, both bearing a determined look on their faces—despite the fact they were busy, they had more than likely heard the conversation.

“We’ve called our friends, pulled some strings, we managed to settle things.”

_Settle… what?_ And he asks as much, “Pardon the rudeness, but _settle what?_ ” and he studies each of the couple’s faces, his counterpart seemed to immediately understand—and while Kaito feels like he’s left out of the loop, he’d recognize that look on his mother’s face and the clone of his own right now.

No matter what he did, he won’t be able to dissuade them. He knew that only he _and_ his father can dissuade his mother (as far as his childhood days went), and the _only one_ who can dissuade him is _Shin’ichi._

“ _You_ will stay with us.” Chikage says, and next to her his father’s counterpart nods.

“You may be an older Kaito in a body that’s a decade younger, not to mention in another world, seeing the obvious, blatant differences. However, you do need someone to fall back on, and that’s where your family comes in.” Kaito splutters, _should they really decide that without_ —

“Oh, and before you ask, we already talked about this yesterday~ So, congratulations, meet your baby brother, Kaito, Kaito-kun~!” _Of course, they did_.

“Wait— _why am I the younger one?!_ ” his counterpart complains—and _of course_ , that’s what caught his attention.

  
“Are you the 27-year-old time traveler here?” Toichi challenges with an arched brow, making his counterpart splutter, and he groans.

His family(?)… are just as insane as the _Kudou_ ’s he _swear_ —and Chikage is grasping his hand, smiling.

“It may take some time… and it won’t be easy for you… but _please_ …?”

_Completely unfair_ , he glares at Toichi who is purposefully keeping his face blank.

**|End|**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **(July 21, 2019:** Typing this immediately so I don’t forget~
> 
> Interdimensional pockets… personal headcanon is that every witch can do this, it’s like one of the first basic spells one learns. And on the move, as they are, they don’t really have the luxury of packing things…
> 
> They did pack things at first, so Akako looked for a way to give them access to it— _shit_ , too fantasy-like, scrapping that out _now_.
> 
> Okay, so, empty stomach plus sleep deprivation is fantasy-nonsense fuel, _apparently_ …. Okay, then I’ll keep that in mind.
> 
> Also, yes, the way Kaito mentioned the order of the mementos the others did is significant, in a _way_.
> 
> And ugh, the ending is anti-climactic and I could just delete this… completely unnecessary—bah… maybe you guys need this for the next installment? ;)
> 
> So, next up! Shin’ichi’s Interlude~!
> 
> **Until the next installment (which will be updated soon )!**
> 
> **—DescriptivePessimism-DAA)**


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